Discovering the Truth
by Jouren4Life
Summary: After a dramatic few months, Lauren Branning is going to realise she shouldn't have never trusted Lucy Beale as the truth comes out and it is up to her family to help her and Joey get back together. Drama occurs within this couple but will they ever get back together as the trust barrier is clearly gone?
1. Chapter 1

Prologue - Discovering the Truth

With the current storyline starting to drain on me, I have decided to do a story on my take on what could happen once Joey discovers Lauren has revealing the truth all this side. Be prepared for upcoming spoilers and lots of Branning Drama. Please Review.

Joey and Lauren lock eyes from across the room as the realisation hits them both and they look at Lucy as the smug look leaves her face as she realises what she has said. Everyone in the Branning living room find themselves frozen with shock as they try to take in Lucy's admission but they are forced to react as an angry Lauren goes at Lucy and Jack and Max are forced to pull the former best friends apart and as true family members, an angry Abi and Alice kick Lucy out before she does more damage to the two people they love. As they return to the living room, everyone stares into space as they are all left feeling awkward and as Max tries to talk to his daughter, an emotional Lauren refuses to listen and shakingly gets up to look out of the window.

Clearly unable to take much more, Lauren forces her entire family out of the House as the emotion of Lucy's admission starts to get up to her and she doesn't seem to realise that Joey is refusing to leave Lauren in the current state she is in. As Abi heads upstairs to check on Oscar, Joey watches from the door as a shaky Lauren sits back on the couch and sits as close as possible to her unsure what or how to react around the love of his life.

Realising someone has to say something " Babe, please talk to me, I need to know what you are thinking" comments a concerned Joey and as Lauren refuses his comfort as he tries to touch his hand, he starts to feel powerless and is unprepared for what Lauren has to say.

" I blame you for this, I needed you, I almost lost my life and you were nowhere to be seen. On that day, you should have believed me over your ex-girlfriend" states a shaky Lauren . Seeing how much Lauren is struggling, Joey tries to get closer to her but Lauren refuses to let him in and continues to talk" Considering how much you were there for me when Mam left, you can't believe me over something as simple as my drinking and believing Lucy over me, how stupid can you be?" states a disgusted Lauren and as Lauren gets erratic by the truth, Joey tries to calm her down but nothing can prepare him and Lauren as she slaps him hard around the face.

Hearing raised voices, Abi comes down the stairs after checking on a sleeping Oscar and is shocked to see the state her sister is in and forces herself to intervene as her concern for her sister goes up " Joey, I think you should leave, you have done enough damage". As Abi sits next to her shaky sister on the couch, a guilty Joey leaves No5, unsure what to do but knows he will do whatever it takes to win back the love of his life.


	2. Chapter 2

Discovering the Truth - Chapter 1

AN - Thanks for the response. The story is going to focus on Joey and Lauren but it does start to Tanya's departure and how it affects Lauren and you will soon see what is going to happen to push Lucy to reveal the truth. Please Review.

Living in the Branning Household has never been easy and in recent months, it has been unbearable. Christmas Day is a day anyone called Branning would hate and this year, it was like a movie disaster but it was a reality, my dad's secret wife decided to turn up on the day my Mam and Dad decided to get married and it has been going downhill since and today is the day I have been dreading my Mam is leaving and I have no idea how I am going to cope.

Abi and Lauren watch as Tanya tearfully starts to put her stuff in her suitcase and Lauren starts to open to her Mam to try to stop her from leaving, " Mam, why do you have to do this, things are finally settled, I am starting to get my life around". Both Abi and Lauren lock eyes as they notice their Mam starting to tear up and they force her to sit on her bed.

" Girls, this has nothing to do with you, I can't continue to live on the Square with your Dad being with Kirsty, I thought I was fine with it but I wasn't, Lauren I know what you are going to say, even if Kirsty has lied about her pregnancy, it doesn't matter, too much hurt has happened between me and your father and nothing can stop it. I need to get away, just promise me you will look after your brother and I will continuously informed about anything, okay?". Lauren and Abi nod and the three women get off the bed and hug and Abi and Lauren leave their Mam to continue to finish packing.

As Tanya continues to pack upstairs, Abi and Lauren talk in the living room and they both realise their dad needs to know whether their Mam likes or not. " Lauren, don't you think the rest of the family should know, like Uncle Jack, Alice -? States Abi. Lauren cuts off her sister knowing who she was going to mention. After the last few weeks, Lauren has struggled with her sobriety and after her break-up with Joey, she got hospitalized after collapsing in the middle of the Square, causing her to make life decisions and she has tried not to look towards No 23.

"Abi, Uncle Jack should know along with Dad but yes, I know what you are saying, Joey shouldn't know as he is out of my life for good, so just leave it, yeah?" Lauren tells a frustrated Abi and walks away, leaving Abi in the living room to be concerned about her fragile sister, knowing she probably will never be over her cousin.

Lauren finds Uncle Jack and her dad in the office of her uncle's gym and forces herself to reveal the truth but isn't prepared to see Joey and Alice their as well and tries to ignore the intense look she is getting from her ex-boyfriend. "Look, I didn't want to tell you, but you deserve the truth, Mam is leaving and she might not come back" Lauren gets interrupted as her dad runs out of the office and clearly heading for No5. "Uncle Jack, it has got too hard for her and she can't keep watching Dad being happy with Kirsty and don't start me about recent events as that doesn't come into it" states a frustrated Lauren and as she leaves, she locks eyes with Joey and they both realise their current situation comes into it.

As Tanya starts to bring her bags to the taxi, she isn't prepared for Max to ask her to stay and she is forced to keep her emotions inside as Max tries to stop her.. "Babe, you can't go, we can work something out" states a pleading Max but Tanya interrupts him stating " Max, have you seen the effect this has on Lauren, for the last few years, we have been pulling her left right and centre with our secrets and I need to get away from our history, please, just let me go". Realising he is fighting a lost cause, Max starts to let go and as he sees the near-by teary Abi and Lauren, he realises it is for the best and lets the love of his life go and watches as Tanya gets into her taxi and walks out of his life. He shrugs off Kirsty's concern and hugs his daughters tightly.

Later on, a concerned Joey sits with Alice on the couch in No 23, both clearly concerned about the rest of their family at No 5. Noticing her brother's behaviour, Alice knows she needs to try to get him to talk to Lauren. " Joe, you need to talk to her, she needs you" states Alice. Seeing the way both her cousin and brother have been in recent weeks has caused her to feel really sad and she has been proud the way Lauren has dealt with her drinking but she knows Lauren needs her brother. "Al, I can't we spilt up for a reason and she won't want me anywhere near her" states a downbeat Joey and he is stunned when a frustrated Alice drags him off the couch , out of No 23 and to the gardens where a depressed Lauren is sitting.

Not noticing Joey hovering nearby, Lauren continues to sit on the bench in the middle of the square, unsure what to do or say. Her trust in her father is non-existent, finding herself to look after her little brother and sister as she can barely look after herself and she finds herself wanting her Mam back even though she knows her leaving was the best option for everyone. Lauren looks up to see Joey looking on concerned and tries to wipe her tears as Joey cautiously sits next to her.

" Joe, what is it, I thought you didn't want to be near me?" states a confused Lauren, unable to keep her emotions to herself at the moment, causing Joey to get closer to his ex-girlfriend and cousin and states " Babe, you need someone right now, I haven't stopped cared about you". This causes Lauren to let her guards down and she opens up to Joey about everything as they curl up on the bench, unaware of a jealous Lucy looking on and she starts to think of plans to rip the former couple apart…


	3. Chapter 3

Discovering the Truth - Chapter 2

As the news of their Mam's departure starts to travel around the square, both Lauren and Abi find themselves seeking comfort in different people. While Abi spends time with Jay at No5, Lauren finds herself remaining quiet as she wakes up on the couch in No 23. As Lauren wakes up from a sleepless night, Alice and Joey talk as they sit eat breakfast in the kitchen.

"Joe, Lauren needs your support more than ever, you know, try not to get too involved as it will look like she wants something more" comments Alice. Alice finds herself in two ways as she wants Joey to be happy but she doesn't want him to be upset. Seeing both her brother and her cousin so heartbroken over the last few weeks has been hard and Alice doesn't want them to see them like that again and she watches as Joey walks away from her and out of the House on the way to work.

After seeing Joey comfort Lauren the night before, Lucy finds herself struggling with her jealousy and as she starts the rush hour for breakfast at the Café, she ends up taking out her anger out on Jay's breakfast, confusing the teenager and she is forced to keep her anger in check as she notices Lauren coming into the café to sit with Abi and Jay.

"Where did you go last night? I thought we were going to stick together" states a concerned Abi. The last few months for Abi Branning has been dramatic to say the least, seeing her eldest sister go off the edge and almost die has hit her hard and it wasn't for her boyfriend, Jay Brown being there for her she doesn't know how she would have survived.

"Abi, you know where I've been and before, you ask nothing happened and nothing will happen, me and Joe are over, I'll see you later, I need to talk to Dad" states a frustrated Lauren. Abi watches her sister leaves the café and can't help but worry about her sister's clearly fragile state and is thankful as Jay grasps her hand for support and finds herself phoning the one person that can help.

"Alice, I need your help, its important, our siblings need our support" reveals a concerned Abi. Abi doesn't notice as she converses with her cousin, a jealousy Lucy hatches her plan to break Joey and Lauren further apart.

After having an emotional conversation with her dad, Lauren returns to No5 to find Joey spending time with Oscar in the living room and she walks into the kitchen and ends up breaking down as quietly as possible but that doesn't stop Joey as he walks in to see Lauren clearly upset.

" Babe, you need to open up to someone, keeping it all in doesn't help anyone, you should know this" comments Joey and both of them find themselves sitting at the kitchen table, thinking about how stressful and how drained they have felt after what has happened in the last few months.

For Joey, seeing Lauren in such a state almost destroyed him. Seeing the love of his life almost die in the Hospital ripped him apart but seeing her trying to get her life together made him proud and he finds himself questioning everyday whether he made the right decision letting her go.

"Joe, I know you're right, I just don't know whether I can do this without my Mam by my side, you know? She wasn't the perfect mother but at least, she has protected me in the best way possible, especially in the last few weeks." states a shaky Lauren.

"Babe, I am here for you, day or night, I know things haven't been easy between the two of us lately but I will support through this not just you but Abi and Oscar as well" states a worried Joey. Lauren grasps onto Joey's hand and just as they are about to kiss, Oscar comes into the kitchen, wanting his sister's attention, causing the former couple to feel awkward as Lauren plays with her brother.

After spending time with Oscar and Lauren, Joey finds himself feeling weird and finds himself struggling to concentrate as he starts his shift at R&R and doesn't seem to notice as Lucy, Tyler, Whitney and Alice come in for a night out and as a manipulative Lucy comes up to order their drinks, Joey is forced to get his head out of the clouds and is forced to remove his hand from the bar as Lucy tries to hold onto it.

"Joey, is something the matter?" asks a fake-concerned Lucy, as she notices Joey being off with her. In recent months, Lucy has struggled with the fact that her former best friend "stole" her boyfriend from her and even after showing Joey what Lauren is really like, her jealousy is coming back after seeing Joey comforting Lauren the night before.

"It's just Lauren, I just wish she would open up more. I know her Mam leaving was going to have an effect on her, I just open she doesn't go down the same path she has just go off" states a scared Joey. Joey has never been as vulnerable as he has concerning his feelings for Lauren which causes Lucy's jealousy to continue as Joey was never like that with her.

" Joey, she is going to go down that path again, Lauren is a drunk and she will always be a drunk , nothing will change that " states an annoyed Lucy and she tries to hide her frustration as Joey forces a fellow barman to take his friends orders as he tries to think things through in the office.

With Joey disappearing from her view, Lucy discreetly leaves her friends and sneakingly checks into the office to find an upset Joey trying to phone Lauren and as Joey hangs up on his ex-girlfriend, he isn't prepared for when Lucy makes a move on him and he si forced to push her away.

"Lucy, what the hell are you doing, eh? You should know that nothing will ever happen between the two of us ever again, yea? Lauren is who I love, it was never you" states Joey and he leaves Lucy frustrated, knowing that she is going to have to work harder to get Joey back to herself without Lauren in the way.


	4. Chapter 4

Discovering the Truth - Chapter 3

A/N - Thankyou for the reviews and love for this story. Sorry for the wait, I have had good news, I'm pregnant and it has caused a bit of distraction for me. Hopefully, soon I will be on daily chapters but for a while, it is going to be weekly, sorry.

After last night's confrontation with Lucy, Joey wakes up in No. 23, feeling all confused and as he connects eyes with his sister, he finds himself feeling worse and ends up confiding in Alice about what happened and doesn't expect the response he gets from her.

"Alice, Lucy kissed me last night and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do, what if Lauren discovers the truth, she can't get anymore hurt that she already is, I mean, look at how she has reacted towards Tanya leaving her, Abi and Oscar?" states a confused Joey. Joey looks at Alice, bewildered as he feels a slap print on his cheek after Alice lashes out at her brother.

"You are such an idiot, how do you know that Lauren doesn't already know, Lucy is a vindictive bitch, I have seen the way she has been looking at you for weeks" states Alice and Joey can only watch as his sister storms out of the House and he slams down on the couch, drinking a glass of water, unprepared of what is going to happen next….

After yesterday's almost-kiss with Joey, Lauren finds herself questioning what happened and ends up confiding in Abi as they eat breakfast at the kitchen table at No.5. Abi finds herself struggling to keep her excitement, since Lauren's near-by death experience, Abi has known that Joey and Lauren being apart is bad for both of them and is hoping that this could be what could push them back together but knowing her sister, Abi knows she can't push her sister into doing something which could break her anything and could push her to the edge.

"Abs, it was just such a weird thing to happen, I mean, I have tried to block out my feelings for Joe so much in the last few weeks. But Mam's departure and his comfort has caused the feelings to come back and I just don't know what to do after everything has happened" stating a tearful Lauren.

"Sis, you do what you think is right. I just want you to be happy but you can't be if you are questioning this, isn't that right, Oscar?" states a equally-teary Abi and the three siblings spend time together before they get interrupted by a knock on the door and an annoyed Abi is forced to answer it and she is shocked to see Lucy come through the door and seeing the look on Lucy's face, she takes Oscar to the living room to let the ex-best friend's to talk.

"Lucy, what is it, that you want, I have stuff to do" states an irritated Lauren. After everything that has happened between the two of them, Lauren can't understand why Lucy has reacted in the way she has. Ever since Lauren and Joey spilt up, Lucy has continuously flirted with Joey, causing Lauren to question her friendship with Lucy but decides to listen what Lucy has to say.

"I thought you should be the first to know, Joey and I slept together last night, I wish I didn't have to tell you but it is clear he was using you to get to me" states a smug Lucy. As she continues to lie, Lucy struggles to keep the smirk off her face as she sees her ex-best friend struggling to keep her emotions at bay.

"Lucy, I want you to get out of my House! Get Out! Get Out!" states an emotional Lauren. As Lucy quickly leaves the House with a smug look on her face, Abi leaves the living room to find her sister with tears quickly coming down her face and tries to comfort her, knowing she needs her more than ever to get over another heartbreak…..

As Alice crosses the square to visit her cousin to try and warn her, she doesn't realised that Joey is right behind her but they both realise that a smug Lucy is leaving No5 and the stunned siblings rush into the House to find Abi hugging her sister. Leaving her brother to explain, Alice grabs Oscar out of the living room and takes him to No23 with Abi, as she sees the former couple has to talk.

"Why aren't you with your girlfriend, she told me everything, that you slept together last night. I thought what almost happened yesterday meant something. I guess I should be thankful that Oscar interrupted, shouldn't I, eh?" states a teary Lauren, struggling to handle her emotions.

Joey, finding himself shocked that Lucy has lied, tries to explain himself, "Lauren, me and Lucy never slept together, she is lying to push us further apart and just so you know, yesterday wasn't a mistake between us, I wish Oscar hadn't interrupted but it happened" states a frustrated Joey.

Lauren struggled to believe her ex-boyfriend and as Joey gets closer to her as she hits towards the kitchen door, she slaps Joey right across the face, shocking her and him both, "You need to go, you have broken me twice before, I'm not letting you do this to me again, I have always loved me but you have lied to me throughout our relationship, you and Lucy are welcome to each other, just go, please" states a crying Lauren.

Joey leaves Lauren, respecting her decision and as he walks out of No.5, he looks back to see Lauren sinking to the floor in tears and as he locks eyes with Lucy, who is cleaning the tables outside of the Café, he sees the smug look on her face and makes sure that he gets Lauren back and makes sure that Lucy doesn't win the sick game she is playing as he walks back to his House…


End file.
